KEEBRA PARK WIN NATIONAL gio SCHOOLBOY CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS
Keebra Park have taken revenge for last years last minute loss to defeat rivals Westfields SHS in this years National gio Schoolboy Cup Championships at Leichhardt Oval this Arvo

After waiting what seemed like an eternity for their first state rugby league title, Westfields Sports High School needed only 12 months to win their second defeating Hills Sports High School 20-14 in the GIO Schoolboy Cup (southern conference) final on Wednesday.

Almost one year to the day since they defeated the same opposition at the same venue to win title No.1, the Fairfield West school returned to Campbelltown Stadium as the underdogs against a Hills team who had racked up 100 points in their past two games.

But after impressive wins of their own against Patrican Brothers' Blacktown and Endeavour Sports High, Westfields started the stronger with their two best players of the campaign Rua Ngatikaura and Phil Makatoa combining for the first try.

Led by their four Australian Schoolboys, Hills bounced back on the back of a string of penalties to take the lead 10-6 through Valance Harris and Tyrell Neiufi four-pointers.

Their lead didn't last long as Dane Oostendorp scored the first of his two tries to level the scores at the break.

The second half belong to the Wayne Lambkin-coached team and despite running into the breeze managed to control the game for the majority of the half.

Not long after the resumption Ngatikaura set up his second try of the match this time for man of the match Jake Alverillo before Oostendorp bombed a golden chance to extend the lead moments later.

He made up for five minutes later when he crossed the stripe for his double and despite letting in a late try to Tyrell Neiufi, their defence held firm to secure the title.

After the game, captain Lindsay Smith said it was the "fastest game" he had played this year and praised his team for their efforts not just in the final but for the past six years they had been together.

It will be a second case of deja vu for Westfields as they now face Keebra Park State High School in the national final on September 6 at Leichhardt Oval.

Last year Westfields scored two tries in the final four minutes to defeat the perennial Queensland powerhouse with Averillo scoring the match winner with 30 seconds to go.

He will be one of seven players looking for consecutive national titles.

The road to the final

Game 1: def Vic Uni Sec College 44-10

Game 2: def Illawarra SHS (forfeit)

Game 3: def Hallam College 12-10

Quarter final: def Patrician Brothers' College, Blacktown 26-18

Semi final: def Endeavour Sports High School 33-10

Conference final: def Hills Sports High School 20-14

Thursday 31 st August 2017

WESTFIELDS SHS GO BACK TO BACK IN SOUTHERN CONFRENCEStory & Photo's By : steve montgomery /
Westfields Sports High School have won the 2017 gio Schoolboy Cup southern Confrence (nsw) title for the second year in a row after defeating The Hills SHS in today's gio Schoolboy Cup Grand Final at Campbelltown Sports Stadium PLENTY MORE SOON

St. JOHN'S WOODLAWN TAKE OUT TROPHYStory & Photo's By : steve montgomery /
The bus trip from the North Coast of NSW proved to be worth it for St. Johns College Woodlawn after the boiz came from a 10 nil deficit to defeat Patrician Brothers College Fairfield in the gio Schoolboy Trophy Grand Final. Patrician Bros 26 - 36 St. Johns PLENTY MORE SOON

Tuesday 29 th August 2017

GIO SCHOOBOY CUP & TROPHY GRAND FINALS Story & Photo's By : steve montgomery /
The NSW Grand Final of the gio Schoolboy Cup & gio Schoolboy Trophy kick off at Campbelltown Sports Stadium tomorrow and both games will be fitting Grand Finals.

In the gio Schoolboy Cup, defending Champions Westfields Sports High School will have to play their very best football to defeat the Awesome Hills Sports High School. Both Schools have talent all over the park, we predict a close game and the winner to Play QLD gio Schoolboy Cup Champions Keebra Park at Leichhardt Oval on Wed Sept 06.

Patrician Brothers College, Fairfield kick offf the day against St. Johns College, Woodlawn which should prove to be a cracker wi the 2 best school teams in NSW battling it out for the gio Schoolboy Trophy, kick off 11:00 AM - GIO SB CUP 1:00 PM

Petro & Phil present gio Most Trusted Player of the Grand Final to Keebra Park's Paul Karaiana

Keebra Park Skipper David Fifita thanks his team and the crowd

SILENCE OF THE DRUMS Story & Photo's By : Darren Hart KPRL Media

With an under card featuring some cracking games including the finals of the Karyn Murphy Schoolgirls Cup and the Final of the QLD GIO Trophy between Ipswich SHS and The Rockhampton Grammar School the crowd was primed and vocal as kick off approached.

Perhaps the most obvious manifestation of excitement was the incessant “BANG, BANG, BIDDELY BONG” of drums that gave the event a little of the razzamataz usually reserved for Cheer leading competitions or American College football games.

And as the last “BING BIDELY BONG” of the drum line subsided it was Keebra Park to kick off and they sent the ball rocketing down to Marsden’s in-goal.

The first encounters were hard fought with defenders working hard to win the tackle with the ball runners fighting equally has hard in finding their fronts and getting a quick play the ball.

A bomb off the back of Marsden’s first attacking set left all in no doubt that their game plan would be focussed on attempting to upset Keebra’s momentum rather than build pressure and while this method can yield results it can equally be fraught with danger and Marsden began to tread a fine line.

As the game progressed it was Keebra who despite Marsden’s best efforts of disruption, managed to keep their composure and crossed for two early tries that had a 15th minute score of 10-0.

On both occasions Marsden’s restarts were short and bobbly and while Keebra managed to negotiate these they did concede an intercept try while probably trying too much too early in an attacking foray down the left edge.

At 10-6, Marsden were right back in the game and a flurry of tactical, headgear removing and boot throwing saw them step up the disruption to a higher level.

Late in the half Keebra managed to regain the momentum and with another try and a disallowed effort, headed to the sheds at 14-6. Marsden had enjoyed some success with their game plan and all credit to them for defending in numbers and scrambling across field to deny the Gold Coasters.

The atmosphere was building and the scene was set for a second half with all still to play for.

The second half seemed to follow the same pattern as the first with Keebra first to score again, giving themselves an 18-6 lead that would blow out to 22-6 within 15 minutes.

Marsden dug deep and managed to turn the momentum yet again and looked dangerous and never out of the competition.

They crossed the line themselves in the 50th minute and at 22-10 were still a chance.

As the time ticked down, so did the likelihood of a comeback and with 4 minutes to go the big number ten from Keebra crossed under the sticks to seal the game and give Keebra a deserved 28-10 victory.

Having been lucky enough to be around elite schoolboy football for the last 15 years or so, I realise the time and effort coaches, players and the wider school community, put in to getting teams into State Finals and I have nothing but admiration for all involved.

Marsden had probably their best year of football and gave Keebra the game they needed as they head into the National Final against either the Hills or Westfields Sports High Schools. Many young men learnt valuable lessons today that will stand them in good stead to become better community members and in that respect they are all winners.

On a more light hearted note ……..i would like to point out that having Drumlines and Sharks in such close proximity was always going to have the propensity for an entanglement and when the Makos have been cut free and swim onwards into next year they will too be better for the experience.

In a tough game with a very large and noisey crowd, the two top schools in Queensland battled it out for the full 70 minutes, gio Most Trusted Player Paul Karaiana from Keebra was the difference, Keebra Parks's skipper David Fifita said he was proud of all the boiz efforts today and during trhe whole gio schoolboy cup season.

Keebra Park will now go on to play the winner of the Southern Confrence (NSW) gio Schoolboy Cup Grand Final between defending National Champions Westfields SHS and The Hills SHS next WED @ Campbelltown Sports Stadium, with

The National GIO Schollboy Cup Grand Final the following Week @ the famous Leichhardt Oval on Wednesday Sept 06.

Therefore the NSW gio Schoolboy Cup Grand Final will be battled between Westfields SHS v The Hills SHS on Wed 30 August @ the fantastic Campbelltown Sports Stadium More soon plus heaps of great action Photo's

ILLAWARRA SPORTS HIGH DOWN VICTORIA UNIVERSITY SECONDARY COLLEGE Story and Photo By : Illawarra SHS TSP

Illawarra Sports has finished its 2017 GIO NRL Schoolboy Cup campaign with a comfortable 34-24 victory over Victoria University Secondary College at Collegians Complex.

Sports were dealt an early blow with the loss of junior Steeler Shalom Oofou, forcing a reshuffle to the forward pack. It certainly didn’t affect their intentions though with early tries to Jalaal Bazaaz and Kane Watling establishing a 10-nil lead.

Some brilliant goal-line defence thwarted VUSC attempts to mount a comeback, before the Berkeley based school went on to further dominate the first half with tries to Maleke Morris and Nelson Sharp.

The usually trusty boot of Ben Beeche deserted the team, with an 18-nil lead to the two blues at the half.

Coach Alex Melville spoke at halftime about the importance of first points in the second half to reassert the school’s dominant first half performance.

Maleke Morris was soon on the back of a well worked team try to set up a match winning 24-nil lead.

The quality of the game thereafter fell away, with some soft ISHS defence allowing VUSC to give the scoreline some respectability, despite the dominance of the home team.

Best for the home team were Kane Watling, Maleke Morris and Jalaal Bazzaz, who played on despite a bad case of the flu.

ISHS now heads into a University Shield semi-final against an unknown opponent in the coming weeks.

THE HILLS & MATRAVILLE RND 2 WINNERS Story & Photo's By : steve montgomery /
Round 2 of the gio Schoolboy Cup kicked of today when Matraville SHS travelled to Tamworth to play in front of all the mentals at Farrer M Ag HS. The South Sydney boiz made the trip worth while defeating the home side 22 - 30.

In the other game, the 2 powerhouses of the competition got it on in without doubt the best game of rugby league on this planet in years.

GIO SCHOOLBOY CUP KICKS OFF TODAY Story & Photo's By : steve montgomery /
Round one of this years gio Schoolboy Cup kicks of at The Kingsway Fields, St. Marys when Farrah MAG HS travel to Sydney to play St. Dominic's College

With the Parramatta Eels winning the NSWRL SG Ball Cup, we would expect Defending Champions Westfields SHS to be strong again this year, but with plenty of talent running around out there, its going to be a cracker of a schoolboys competition again in 2017

Westfields Sports High School have defeated Queenslands Keebra Park SHS with a try 3 minutes from the final siren today in the National Final of the gio Schoolboy Cup @ Peppers Stadium today in front of a few hundred mental fans.

The National Final was an extreemly exciting and tough game with both teams playing with gusto and fantastic sportsmanship...

GIO SCHOOLBOY CUP NATIONAL FINAL
The National Final of the 2016 gio Schoolboy Cup kicks off on Wednesday 14th September @ Peppers Stadium Penrith with 2 of the Nations top rugby league schools competing for glory.

At 1:00 PM tomorrow Westfields SHS from Sydney will get it on with The Gold Coasts' Keebra Park in what promises to be a battle of the giants.

Both schools have powerful packs and very clever backs which should provide a fitting match to wrap up the toughest schoolboy competition on the planet for season 2016.

Good luck to both schools and yes, OurFootyTeam will be there to cover the game for you.